


you shined on me when i didn’t even know myself

by voidslantern



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anal Sex, Awkward Boners, Cryptid Shiro, Cuddling, Emotional Sex, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Lots of Shirtless Shiro, Love Confessions, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Or Is he?, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Praise Kink, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Skinny Dipping, Smut, Strong Language, purring Keith, season one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:21:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27152395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidslantern/pseuds/voidslantern
Summary: Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane, the Golden Boy of the Galaxy Garrison and Keith’s best friend, is hot. Both literally and figuratively. It makes Keith’s situation even worse: as if being a closeted gay helplessly in love with the said best friend isn’t hard enough as it is.But no. Of all the people in the world, Shiro is gifted not only with a golden heart and a body of a sex god. He’s also one of those types that can go outside in winter in nothing but shorts and a tee and have the audacity to complain the weather is too warm.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 161





	you shined on me when i didn’t even know myself

Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane, the Golden Boy of the Galaxy Garrison and Keith’s best friend, is hot. Both literally and figuratively. It makes Keith’s situation even worse: as if being a closeted gay helplessly in love with the said best friend isn’t hard enough as it is.

But no. Of all the people in the world, Shiro is gifted not only with a golden heart and a body of a sex god. He’s also one of those types that can go outside in winter in nothing but shorts and a tee and have the audacity to complain the weather is too warm.

The Garrison is located in a desert. It’s fucking hot here for real. According to Shiro, it’s as scorching as the surface of the sun. Which he then proceeds to battle by taking off his shirt and drinking the whole bottle of water right in front of Keith, with little regard for how much he spills over his meaty pectorals and defined abs.

Usually, Keith has just enough of self-control to delay the inevitable boner he gets from such displays until he is alone, preferably in the shower, jacking himself off until he’s so overstimulated and sore he can barely keep himself upright and his stamina wanes down.

It, of course, doesn’t help Keith’s raging crush. The fantasies fuelled by the effortlessly lewd displays he’s subjected to every day by the sweetly oblivious Shiro ignite Keith’s feelings and forge something more solid and serious out of them.

As it happens, the friendship between Shiro and Keith is also just as strong. Aside from hanging out together, Shiro helps Keith with his studies whenever he can. Sitting together cooped up with a living furnace and pouring over textbooks sees not only Shiro lose layers of clothing. Shiro’s overheating body makes even the usually freezing Keith feel like he’s sitting in front of a cosy fire, the entire room welcomingly warm. It’s hard to focus on physics when Shiro is wearing thin cotton pants and a clingy white tee, but “patience yields focus” is steadily becoming Keith’s mantra and he chants it while avoiding looking at all that defined muscle and slightly roused nipples peaking beneath the flimsy cloth.

Also, Shiro has this habit of being… tactile with Keith. At first, it weirded Keith out but after a while, he got used to it, and now he cannot function during the day when he hasn’t had his fill of hugs or shoulder-touches from his best friend. Shiro seems to enjoy the fact Keith has grown to like this, and, well, let’s say Shiro is using his every opportunity to touch Keith. His somewhat supernatural warmth is most welcome, fuelling Keith, making him grin despite himself and maybe, when he’s feeling particularly brave, he’d allow himself to touch Shiro in return.

Working out with Shiro by far is the worst. Solely because Shiro insists on wearing yoga pants and a tank top every time and fuck does that leave nothing to Keith’s imagination. Wrestling with Shiro is a whole different deal entirely. Keith and Shiro match well as sparring partners. Blood runs hot, hotter still in Shiro’s veins. When he loses the tank top, complaining of the heat, Keith is usually left half-hard in his sweats. He remains undiscovered solely thanks to his strategic tucking prior but he’s always close to busting a nut when Shiro slams him into the training mat and asks if he yields. Keith never does — never will — but on the inside, he’s dying over the fact that even Shiro’s sweat is attractive to him. All that perfect skin, glistening in the gym lights, within Keith’s reach, powerful muscles bunching where they cut down Keith’s resistance and press him harder into the mat…

It’s hard to navigate showering with Shiro after their workouts while his boner refuses to go away no matter how much Keith tries to bargain with his body. A few times, Keith is almost positive Shiro notices, though it hurts something bad when neither acts on it.

But oh, even daily life with Shiro is tough. The man has always detested the stuffy and rough Garrison uniform — Keith agrees wholeheartedly — and the moment Shiro is out of any official obligations for the day, he’s already losing his jacket under the attentive gazes of the entire base. You don’t even have to be attracted to men to appreciate the sheer raw beauty that is Shiro but fuck does it make Keith grit his teeth with jealousy. It’s somewhat dispelled when Shiro offers him his jacket, to ward off the chill of air conditioning Shiro is immune to. The security of that grey jacket, thrown over Keith’s broadening shoulders, also lays a claim no other gawker can have. Shiro has ever only cared for such gestures with Keith, and he’s proud in a quiet way, following the man to the roofs to stargaze together, snug and warm against his side in the desert night.

At least cuddling with Shiro is good. So far, Keith has managed to enjoy it without his raging boners, though it is probably because of how relaxed he becomes when Shiro has him tucked under his heavy arm, closer to his chest, his heart and core. Keith then becomes almost cat-like, lazing in the glorious warmth of the brightest star in his sky. Sometimes, there is a sound caught in his throat, like a purr, an answer to Shiro’s long, always so warm fingers playing with his hair.

And then, Kerberos happens.

The world is a cold, sunless place. Keith refuses to give up hope, stubborn and loyal to a fault that sees him kicked out of the very Garrison he has promised Shiro to graduate upon his return.

After a year in the scorching yet freezing desert, Keith sees a falling star.

He can feel the warmth it emanates with his very skin and thus he wastes no time to hop onto his hoverbike and fly to answer the call.

The falling star is Shiro. The same yet changed, smiling brilliantly at Keith through the tears of recognition and relief as Keith falls into his outstretched arms and finds that same heat welcoming him home.

The purr is real this time but neither notices nor has the time to process anything that’s happening — not until they collapse onto the couch with the rest of the new crew after successfully forming Voltron for the first time.

“Are you tired?” Keith asks, his own voice barely above a raspy whisper. Shiro nods, finds out from Coran if there is a place they could hit the hay at, and simply departs with his new hand wrapped around Keith’s shoulders. He clings to him a bit hungrier than usual — not just because his crush is no longer just a crush, but also because there is a year-worth of ice to melt in his veins.

Shiro doesn’t even question it when Keith ends up in his bed. The clingy limbs remain clingy even when they both are far too tired to strip properly — even Shiro only manages to shrug off his boots and the vest — but when Shiro nuzzles into the crook of Keith’s neck, his body a solid, furnace-hot blanket crushing Keith into the Altean bed, he sleeps warm and cosy in what feels like the first time in years, clutching Shiro closer to his own heart.

Since his return, Shiro is a little more conscious of when he loses his clothing. Mostly it happens when he is off duty and in Keith’s presence, though the occasion is concerningly rare. There is a lot of scars marring the previously perfectly smooth skin and Shiro has trouble accepting them and his new arm. Keith uses reassurances and kind words to help him cope though deep down he knows only worship with lips and tongue can dispel Shiro’s hesitancies.

At least they still spar together though Keith misses those times when he could have the unobscured view of Shiro’s upper body and legs at any time of day. Shiro does still radiate heat and it’s as welcoming as it has always been… But Shiro’s heart is troubled and his sleep is plagued with nightmares. When once Keith used to seek Shiro’s warmth to fill the desolating ice inside himself, to fuel his will to live, now he is the one to curl around Shiro and hold him, giving him the warmth of his own body, however feeble in comparison, warding against the shadows he sees in the dark.

With the Paladin duties, once comes a time when Shiro, Keith, and Pidge end up stranded on a planet so icy-cold that when the pod they’ve arrived in from the Castle of Lions breaks, the engine dying despite Pidge’s frustrated attempts at repairing it, they are left with their asses freezing off. Well, Keith and Pidge are, at least. The chill is low enough for Shiro not to complain. Keith, quite good at adapting, simply cuddles up with Shiro as a means to stay warm. Pidge regards them exactly for the two seconds it takes her to send an SOS signal to the Castle and then she takes a spot at Shiro’s other side.

If anything, Shiro is somewhat pleased his overclocking inner heating system is actually keeping his fellow Paladins warm and comfortable as they wait for rescue.

Lance and Hunk come with heating blankets and thermoses with hot beverages inside — then gape in wonder at the sight of the stranded trio not on the verge of getting frostbite but quite happily and comfortably napping together.

After, as if finally coming to terms with this peculiarity of his body, Shiro slowly comes back to his previous ways.They may be in space fighting in an intergalactic war but some things remain so grounding and the same. It takes a few weeks for the team to get used to Shiro’s penchant to be too hot for his clothes.

Keith is, obviously, pleased with the development, admiring how buff Shiro has become, desperately wishing to finally match all that corded strength. _Outmatching_ it is still out of his league but their sparring sessions once again become as fun as they used to be.

And then, Keith invites Shiro to the Altean pool Lance and he had discovered a while back. It has taken some convincing on Keith’s part to make Coran and Allura create a normal gravity pool that only is different from the pools back on Earth because the water does not reek of chlorine and is of a pleasant pale turquoise colour.

Keith’s plan has been completely innocent and most definitely platonic when he’s pitched it to Shiro. They both need a way to relax, after all. Shiro, however, sends it all to hell the moment he decides to skinny dip.

In front of Keith and his massive crush on Shiro.

Wearing nothing but a smirk when he resurfaces and taunts stunned Keith to follow.

Keith’s hands shake when he takes off his swimwear under Shiro’s intent gaze. He doesn’t do a bomb like Shiro has, just swan dives right in, a thrill running down his spine when he breaks the surface.

Shiro whoops in greetings, then splashes at him, his booming laughter echoing across the chamber. Keith knows a challenge when he sees one but tonight, there is no hiding a blush on his cheeks just at the knowledge that Shiro — gorgeous and hot — is naked in front of him. That _Keith_ is naked, too, and he’s more than sure Shiro has seen all of him before he dived. He only regrets bashfully averting his gaze when Shiro stripped out of his swimming shorts, before.

Now, though, Keith learns to be less shy and more open about his affections. He has been, ever since Shiro came back. Now, he admires him openly as water drips down his muscular body, watches light reflections dancing across Shiro’s broad back and when he turns and looks at Keith, across his chest.

Even though the water is cool, barely lukewarm even, Keith burns with want. Here and now, with Shiro.

Splashing, chasing, playing — it all seems like a prelude. When Shiro catches him, chest-to-back, Keith shivers at how Shiro’s length — large and unmistakably hard — presses against his backside, that same signature warmth washing over him and emboldening.

Keith turns in Shiro’s strong arms and kisses that victorious grin on his lips.

It’s a bit like a star going supernova. It’s a _lot_ like a star going supernova.

Shiro’s grip tightens, the cock underwater throbs, filling more. Keith whimpers in that open-mouthed heat and wills it to consume him whole. To burn him to ash if it means he gets to have Shiro. Even only for a night.

“Keith.”

He holds him tenderly almost, the grey eyes seeking something in Keith’s expression. Something gives way inside Keith’s chest and he turns in Shiro’s arms, both gasping when their dicks meet and align. Shiro’s eyes light up at the discovery of Keith’s answering arousal. They kiss, and then they kiss again, until staying afloat becomes cumbersome in their need for more.

Heading to the pool’s edge seems like a good idea. Shiro helps Keith up, immediately pulling him into his embrace, kissing deeper and hungrier as their skin dries on its own and Keith begins to shiver.

“Take me to bed,” Keith says. Shiro understands with a single look and when the door to Shiro’s quarters slides shut behind them, there are teeth and nails and low growls and desire electrifying the air between them.

They have barely bothered each to wrap a towel around the hips so stripping requires minimal effort. Keith has all of Shiro to himself. Finally, he can kiss the scars Shiro is so shy about, can suck on the bionic digits of his new arm, can spread his legs and let Shiro take care of him.

When the first lubed finger slides in, Keith weathers it easily. The second comes with gasps and more arousal and no discomfort at all. When he takes three, Shiro praises him with such reverence and fondness Keith has to bite back the sudden tears.

When Shiro finally deems Keith ready and slides in, careful with every inch, to Keith it is not just about finally getting fucked by the man he loves. He has never believed in fate or destiny but that chasm in his chest that bled ice for years and took the joy out of his life… With Shiro like this, murmuring praise and pet names and giving Keith all of himself — that chasm finally closes.

Now, Keith doesn’t hold back his tears. Shiro mistakes them for tears of pain and tries to stop and pull out and give Keith time but Keith holds the sun of his life closer and says, voice catching on the overwhelming feelings,

“I love you, Shiro.”

He swears Shiro glows like a star he is. When he kisses Keith, his lips do not scorch but warm instead.

“I love you too, Keith. I always will.”

Keith is so stupidly warm. From Shiro’s large body draped over him, from the thick cock pounding inside him, from the love flooding his heart. Shiro raws into his ass, protecting Keith with his body, just as hot as Keith knows it is, but the feeling spreads him open, reaching so deep inside it melts Keith to the core.

Keith smiles, just as brilliantly as Shiro, and they laugh and roll in bed until Keith is astride Shiro, riding him with a satisfyingly wet skin-on-skin sound. Shiro can’t stop praising him and Keith can’t get enough of it, greedy and so stupidly in love he comes a few thrusts later, even his relentless stamina finally satisfied. Shiro follows and his seed is as hot as Keith thought it would be. Happy, Keith settles against Shiro’s still heaving chest and hums, nearly purring again as Shiro kisses him.

“I— Keith—“

Shiro’s voice hitches and Keith kisses his hesitancy away.

“I wanted to come back because of you. I’ve held on— all because it killed me to know you’re all alone.”

“Shiro…”

“Baby, I love you. So much. You know that, right?”

Keith places a tender kiss over Shiro’s heart. “I do, Shiro. I do, I— You mean so much to me, I—“ an awkward laugh, “I can’t find the right words to describe it.”

Shiro smiles, kissing him on the lips. “There’s no rush.”

“No, but I’d like you to know. I’ll… figure it out.”

Shiro chuckles, his hands setting off to stroke Keith’s sides and dip lower to cup his ass. He arches into the possessive touch, his dick twitching in interest at such attentions. Shiro notices, smirking again.

Getting roused from being manhandled by Shiro probably stems from the fact he’s gotten hard too many times while sparring with him but now, what Shiro offers, settling Keith between his legs and pressing an uncapped bottle of lube into his hand—

Keith understands. Words may not be his way but his actions…

He sets off on his promise to worship Shiro with his own body, taking him, sinking into that endless heat with a chant of Shiro’s name on his lips. The man in his arms glows, a fallen star given human form and Keith is in his gravitational pull.

And together, they set the sky ablaze.

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday to my wonderful boy, keith ♥  
> fic title is a translated line from Stray Kids' song "I AM You".


End file.
